Dropbox Told Us Our Files Were Encrypted and Private. Turns Out They Aren’t?

Security researcher Christopher Sogohain believesDropbox is lyingin claiming that they encrypt uploaded files and keep them from employee eye . So he filed an FTC ill against them .

harmonize to Wired , the complaint alleges that the want of encryption mean that your Indian file could be involved in possible government searches , copyright infringement lawsuits , or the machination of Dropbox employees .

Dropbox save reposition blank by analyzing substance abuser ’ files before they are uploaded , using what ’s know as a hash – which is essentially a short theme song of the file establish on its subject . If another Dropbox exploiter has already stored that file , Dropbox does n’t actually upload the file , and simply “ adds ” the file to the user ’s Dropbox .

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The keys used to encrypt and decrypt files also are in the hands of Dropbox , not store on each user ’s machines .

Those computer architecture choice mean that Dropbox employees can see the mental object of a user ’s storage , and can turn over the nonencrypted files to the government or outdoor administration when presented with a subpoena .

Additionally , Dropbox antecedently claimed that employees ” are n’t able-bodied to get at drug user filing cabinet . ” They ’ve since change that statement to say that they are n’t permitted to access those files .

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In filing the ailment , Soghoian basically need Dropbox to make their insurance policy more explicit . Looks like someone ’s got some ‘ splainin to do . [ Wired ]

UPDATE : A Dropbox praseodymium flak has this to say …

“ We believe this complaint is without meritoriousness , and enhance erstwhile issues that were addressed in ourblog poston April 21 , 2011 . zillion of people depend on our service every 24-hour interval and we work hard to keep their data safe , secure , and individual . ”

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